MATCH REPORT: Iraq 2-3 UAE

UAE finished third in the Asian Cup after defeating a 10-man Iraq 3-2 today in Newcastle Stadium.

While UAE opened the scoring, they had to come back from a goal down at half time with the assistance of a red card to Ahmad Ibrahim.

Omar Abdulrahman provided a silky pass through the defence on the counter attack to Ahmed Khalil, who made no mistake with his shot through the legs of Jalal Hassan to open the scoring.

Waleed Salem and Majad Kalaf both scored in the 29th and 42nd minutes to put the Lions of Mesopotamia by half time, but Ahmed Khalil was able to bring the scores level again six minutes into the second half.

A foul by Ahmad Ibrahim inside the box earned the defender a red card and a penalty for Ali Mabkhout to convert, putting the Emirati ahead in the tournament goalscoring charts.

Four minutes of additional time were not enough for Iraq to bring the game into extra time, giving the UAE a consolation prize after missing out on the final through a 2-0 semi final loss to Australia.

The Asian Cup final will be held tomorrow in Sydney’s Stadium Australia, where Australia will contest for their first Asian Cup silverware against a South Korea that has been waiting for a return to continental glory for over five decades.

About The Author

Ryan Steele is a coach with several years of experience across Asia. He has worked with professional academies and elite development groups and is passionate about the continual development of Asian football.